PENTECOST -- The Untold Story!

It will no doubt be surprising to many to learn that the New Testament mentions the Old Testament annual Holy Day of Pentecost THREE TIMES. These three times it is called "Pentecost" -- meaning "Fiftieth Day" (see Acts 2:1; 20:16 and I Corinthians 16:8). It is probably even more surprising to learn that the first Holy Day of Unleavened Bread is referred to as "THE DAY OF THE SABBATHS" (plural) in the Greek language. The Old testament feast of Pentecost was also known as the "feast of harvest" (Exodus 23:16) and "feast of weeks" (Numbers 28:26 and Deuteronomy 16:16).

The Greek expression "the Day of the Sabbaths" (plural) clearly refers to the first Holy Day of Unleavened Bread (Nisan 15), yet has been misunderstood and mistranslated as "Sabbath" (singular) in most English versions. Why is this?

Most people have completely overlooked the fact that the apostle John reveals that there were TWO SABBATHS ON ONE DAY -- the weekly Sabbath AND the first high (holy) day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread! Let's go to John 19:31 in the Jewish New Testament, translated by David. H. Stern, and read what the apostle John has to say: "It was the Preparation Day, and the Judeans did not want the bodies to remain on the stake on Shabbat [the weekly Sabbath], since IT WAS AN ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT [WEEKLY] SHABBAT." What made this particular weekly Sabbath so important? The New King James Version makes it perhaps clearer: "Therefore, because it was the Preparation Day, that the bodies should not remain on the cross on the [weekly] Sabbath (FOR THAT [WEEKLY] SABBATH WAS A HIGH DAY)." Now what "high day" could this be? My Bible references it to Exodus 12:16 -- the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread!

Now consider this -- if that day had been a regular week day, John would have said, "FOR THAT DAY WAS A HIGH DAY." But, instead, he said "for that SHABBAT was a high day"!

That the day after the Messiah's death on Nisan 14 was a weekly Sabbath can be clearly demonstrated by Luke 23:56, which reads: "On SHABBAT the women rested, IN OBEDIENCE TO THE COMMANDMENT." What "commandment" is this? The FOURTH COMMANDMENT of course! In reference to Luke 23:56 the Jewish New Testament Commentary makes this clarifying statement: "It is sometimes claimed that the New Testament says nothing about keeping the fourth commandment. This verse [Luke 23:56] contradicts that claim, so it is important for a Jewish understanding of the New Testament. ON SHABBAT [THE WEEKLY SABBATH] THE WOMEN RESTED, IN OBEDIENCE TO THE FOURTH COMMANDMENT (Exodus 20:8-11; Deuteronomy 5:12-15; also Exodus 16). Of course they did! They observed Shabbat EVERY WEEK" (David H. Stern, page 150). Obviously, the WEEKLY SABBATH is the focus of verses 54 and 56 of Luke 23.

Aside from the Bible, the fact that the weekly Sabbath (Shabbat) here mentioned was also the first high Holy Day (Nisan 15) of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, is understood by numerous researchers. Writes Jack Finegan in the Handbook of Biblical Chronology (Revised Edition): "This day of Preparation for the Passover was also a day of Preparation for the SABBATH which, in this case, COINCIDED WITH PASSOVER DAY and thus was a 'high day' (John 19:31" (page 355, section 607). This is backed up by the fact that all four Gospels indicate that the day of the Messiah's crucifixion was a Preparation Day because they describe the following day as the weekly Sabbath (Mark 15:42; Matthew 28:1; Luke 23:56; John 19:31), and also because they state that the visit of the women to the tomb on the next day was on the first day of the week (Mark 16:2; Matthew 28:1; Luke 24:1 and John 20:1). Now since John 19:14 states that the day of Yeshua's trial and execution was "the day of Preparation for the PASSOVER," the next day had to be both the weekly Sabbath AND the first Holy Day of Unleavened Bread (Nisan 15) otherwise the Bible contradicts itself!

Samuele Bacchiocchi is not ignorant of this fact when he writes the following in his series God's Festivals in Scripture and History (Part 1):

H. L. Strack and P. Billerbec, in their book Kommentar zum Neuen Testament aus Talmud und Midrash (Munich, 1922-1928) state that in later Rabbinic literature the seventh-day Sabbath is regarded as a "high day" if it falls on Nisan 15, and they show numerous examples in support of this.

Furthermore, the Bible dictionary Insight On the Scriptures (article, Passover), noted the same fact --

A plural form of the word "Sabbath" is found in Matthew 28:1, which is usually translated : "After the sabbath, when it was growing light on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to view the grave" (The Kingdom Interlinear Translation of the Greek Scriptures). When correctly translated this verse should read -- "After the sabbaths [plural], when it was growing light on the first day of the week..." Also, the phrase "when it was growing light on the first day of the week" is translated from the original Greek, which literally says "to the [day] lighting up into one [first] of sabbaths" -- notice the plural form once again.

The phrase "into one [first] of sabbaths" is a reference to the first day from which the omer count starts in the count to Pentecost -- which count is made up of seven Sabbaths or weeks. This count always begins on Nisan 16 -- which is always the First Day of the Week!

The exact same thing can be found in Mark 16:2 where the Greek literally says: "And exceedingly early to the one [first] [day] of the sabbaths they are coming upon the memorial tomb..." which in the usual English translation reads "And very early on the first day of the week they came to the memorial tomb..." (The Kingdom Interlinear Translation of the Greek Scriptures). We have to be careful, the English renditions can mask the true meaning of these verses in the Bible.

The word "sabbath" is also in the PLURAL in Luke 24:1 and John 20:1, showing that this particular weekly Sabbath was also a high day.

The first place this expression ("the day of the Sabbaths") is used in the New Testament is Luke 4:16. The Sabbath referred to in this verse was (as we have just learnt) not only the first annual high Holy Day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Nisan 15) but also the weekly Sabbath day! We read: "And he came to Nazareth, where he had been reared; and, according to his custom on the day of the Sabbaths, he entered into the synagogue and he stood up to read" (The Kingdom Interlinear Translation of the Greek Scriptures).This verse clearly demonstrates that Yeshua's custom was to observe the first Holy Day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread! He actually began his ministry, following his baptism, and temptation in the wilderness, which occurred just prior to the Passover, with this sermon delivered on the first Holy Day of Unleavened Bread (Nisan 15) in 28 A.D. This is deduced from the fact that the temptation lasted forty days, and travel time from the wilderness to Nazareth would have made up the rest of the time leading up to the first day of Unleavened Bread.

It was during the Passover festival, near Bethany, then, that John the Baptist called Yeshua "the lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world" (John 1:29). After being tempted of the devil forty days, and returning to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, Yeshua began his own ministry on the first day of Unleavened Bread -- Nisan 15!

The connection between Pentecost and Passover is attested to by Jewish historical literature. Pentecost is often described there as the eighth day and connecting day to the seven-day Passover festival. Pentecost was called "Atzeret," as Josephus notes, which means "completion," in regard to the harvest which began at Passover and was completed at Pentecost (see Josephus, Antiquities, 3:10). Likewise, the eighth and concluding day following the seven-day Feast of Tabernacles, is called "Atzeret" in Jewish literature.

The ministry of the Messiah demonstrated the close spiritual connection between Passover and Pentecost. The Messiah is the "firstfruits" from the dead, the beginning of YEHOVAH's spiritual harvest, the pioneer of our salvation. The rest of the first harvest, those who comprise the Church of YEHOVAH God, are symbolized by the Pentecost harvest.

Now let's notice the other New Testament references to the first Holy Day of Unleavened Bread (Nisan 15). In Acts 13:14 we read: "They, however, went on from Perga and came to Antioch in Pisidia and, going into the synagogue on THE DAY OF THE SABBATHS, they took a seat. After the public reading of the Law and of the Prophets the presiding officers of the synagogue sent out to them, saying: "Men, brothers, if there is any word of encouragement for the people that you have, tell it." (The Kingdom Interlinear Translation of the Greek Scriptures, verses 14-15).

Here we find Paul and his company celebrating the first Holy Day of Unleavened Bread (Nisan 15) with Jews in a synagogue in a Gentile city.

The last place where the first day of Unleavened Bread (Nisan 15) is referred to is Acts 16:13. Notice the account: Paul and his company came "to Philippi, a colony, which is the principal city of the district of Macedonia. We continued in this city SPENDING SOME DAYS. And on THE DAY OF THE SABBATHS we went forth outside the gate beside a river, where we were thinking there was a place of prayer; and we sat down and began speaking to the women that has assembled" (verses 12-13).

Philippi was a colony-city which did not have a large Jewish population, hence it had no regular synagogue for the apostle and his entourage to meet with. Therefore, when the holy day came, they met instead at the customary place of prayer and religious convocation for the Jews in that region -- down by the river.

Now notice! They "continued in this city spending some days" (verse 12). During this time, when the first Holy Day of Unleavened Bread came, they met with others celebrating the holy day down at the usual place of meeting at the river, outside the city walls. What is the significance of this fact? It was the custom of the apostle Paul to meet in the synagogues with the Jews on the weekly Sabbath days to preach the gospel wherever he went, so long as he was welcome (Acts 13:42-44). In this case, the Scriptures clearly state that they stayed in Philippi several days, during which time he MET ON THE FIRST DAY OF UNLEAVENED BREAD (NISAN 15) which also happened to be the WEEKLY SABBATH!

This passage has great meaning to some today. A number of Churches, such as the Worldwide Church of God, Church of God, International, and the Global Church of God teach that Pentecost must always occur on a "SUNDAY", the day after the weekly Sabbath. One or two smaller groups insist that Pentecost must always occur on a "MONDAY." The Jews of today, however, observe Pentecost by counting fifty days from the day after the FIRST HOLY DAY during Unleavened Bread, which may fall on different days of the week, from year to year by their count. Only occasionally does it ever fall on a Sunday. So who is right?

Since many claim that Acts 13:14 and Acts 16:13 refer to the Day of Pentecost, they use Acts 16:13 to try and disprove a "Sunday" Pentecost. With a "Sunday" Pentecost the previous day has to be the weekly Sabbath and, they claim, since the apostles spent some days in Philippi PRIOR to meeting together with the Jews, and since they DID NOT meet together to celebrate either a weekly Sabbath or an annual Sabbath until the Day of Pentecost itself, then this proves conclusively that Pentecost was counted from Nisan 16 -- the day after the first Holy Day of Unleavened Bread! If Pentecost was counted from the day after a weekly Sabbath, these detractors continue, then Pentecost would have fallen on the day after the weekly Sabbath and Paul and his companions would have observed TWO DAYS in a row with the Jews of Philippi. But Acts 16:13 clearly indicates only ONE meeting down by the river at this time, thus disproving the "Sunday" Pentecost theory!

However, since the first Holy Day of Unleavened Bread (Nisan 15) fell on the weekly Sabbath, this whole argument falls flat on its face. The omer count, according to the Pharisees, would have started on the First Day of the Week (Nisan 16); and since this was the weekly Sabbath within the Passover season the omer count, according to the Sadducees, would have also started on the First Day of the Week (Nisan 16)! So Pentecost, 50 days later, would have fallen on the FIRST Day of the Week by either count!

While some think this Scripture is devastating to those who hold to a "Sunday" Pentecost it, in fact, does no such thing! The scripture does NOT say that Paul and the apostles stayed several days in Philippi BEFORE they met down by the river -- it only says that they spent several days total in the city -- during which time they assembled down by the river. When, during those "several" days, the meeting by the river occurred we cannot know for sure.

We could use the same argument to try and prove that the first Holy Day of Unleavened Bread fell on the weekly Sabbath: Had the first Holy Day of Unleavened Bread of Acts 16:13 followed a weekly Sabbath, there would have been two Sabbaths in a row, or close to each other, for which the Jews of the region would have assembled. Any weekly Sabbath right before, or right after, an annual holy day is of special significance to the Jews and would have been noted. But since Paul and his companions had to wait a few days before assembling on the first Holy Day of Unleavened Bread, no such double Sabbath (in a row) occurred that year! But since we DO NOT know when, during the several days Paul and his companions were in Philippi, that they assembled by the river, this argument is entirely moot. However, since we know by other proofs that the first day of Unleavened Bread (Nisan 15) fell on the weekly Sabbath that year, this proves beyond doubt or controversy that PENTECOST FELL ON THE FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK that year!

It is clear, then, that the apostle Paul celebrated Pentecost on the First Day of the Week!

What day did the apostle Paul observe? What day did Yeshua the Messiah observe? Can we know the answer?

While history seems to reveal that the vast majority of the Jewish people during the time of the Messiah followed the teachings of the Pharisees, who supposedly taught Pentecost must be counted from the day following the first annual holy day, and thus could occur on various days of the week, there is much evidence to the contrary. The small sect of the Sadducees, however, supposedly taught a First Day of the Week Pentecost, counting from the weekly Sabbath day within or following the Passover feast. Since Paul was celebrating Pentecost on the First Day of the Week in Acts 16:13, it would seem he was following the tradition of the Sadducees! Yet, when Paul was brought before the council for judgment he cried out, "My brothers, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee. I stand on trial because of my hope in the resurrection of the dead" (Acts 23:6). How do we get around this dichotomy?

The New Testament reveals that the early first century Christians, or followers of the Messiah, were mostly Jews, and their ministers were primarily Jews. The book of Acts tells us of them, that "all of them are zealous for the law" (Acts 21:20, NIV). These converted Jews were primarily from the party of the Pharisees. It included few of the Sadducees because, as a group, they rejected the basic truth of the resurrection from the dead, which was the focal point of the apostles' teaching. But did they really disagree with the Pharisees over the calendar?

Now, if Paul had stopped observing Pentecost on the same date the Pharisees observed it, he could not have made his appeal saying he was a Pharisee! Such an appeal would have caused the Pharisees to consider him a traitor, a hypocrite, a slime-ball worse than the Sadducees! But when he made his appeal, the Pharisees in the audience defended him to the hilt. The account continues: "There was a great uproar, and some of the teachers of the law who were Pharisees stood up and argued vigorously. 'We find nothing wrong with this man,' they said. 'What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?' The dispute became so violent that the commander was afraid Paul would be torn to pieces by them. He ordered the troops to go down and take him away from them by force and bring him into the barracks" (verses 9-10).

On the other hand, consider. If Paul had switched from the day observed by the Pharisees, to that kept by the Sadducees, then he would have made his appeal to the Sadducees, and they would have been the ones who would have defended him in the council!

If Paul had remained a Pharisee in most respects, but changed the day he observed Pentecost to Sunday, like the Sadducees, then both Pharisees and Sadducees would have condemned him viciously, considering him to be a traitor and heretic! So what is the answer?

When in doubt regarding questions of doctrine, we much always look within the pages on YEHOVAH's word the Bible for answers. As Paul said, "All Scripture is inspired of God and beneficial for teaching, for reproving, for setting things straight, for disciplining in righteousness" (II Timothy 3:16). With this in mind, the answer to our problem can be found in Luke 6 and verse 1 -- notice!

In the Revised Standard Version of the Bible a footnote to Luke 6:1 states that "other ancient authorities read On the second first sabbath (on the second sabbath after the first)." This is clearly a reference to the Day of Pentecost, as the rest of the above passage proves. But what is interesting is the fact that it refers to a Pentecost that is counted from the day after the WEEKLY SABBATH! If it were counted from Nisan 16 there would not be two Sabbaths in a row. This is what some people would refer to as the "Sadducean" method of counting to Pentecost. So here is proof, from the Bible itself, that Pentecost fell on the First Day of the Week. Comments Harold Hemenway, "Even though the Pharisees were largely in control at the time of Christ, we still find that Luke 6:1 records the SADDUCEAN WAY of reckoning Pentecost by naming a particular Sabbath the "SECOND-FIRST Sabbath" (Were the Feast Days Abolished?, page 83). Now, where does this leave the Pharisees?

There is, in the Dead Sea Scrolls, evidence that the Pharisees, who controlled the Temple services and ritual, kept the day of the Wave Sheaf Offering on the First Day of the Week and also Pentecost on the First Day of the Week. A number of texts dealing with chronology, the calendar, and the priestly courses, were found in Cave 4 at Qumran. The first is a liturgical calendar which gives festival dates in relation to the day of the week in the priestly course on duty in the JERUSALEM TEMPLE -- notice!

Another fragment mentions Pentecost --

This agrees perfectly with Luke 6:1 discussed above!

With the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 A.D. and the disappearance of the Temple rites, the ecclesiastical Second Temple calendar was soon lost to most Jews. They did not adopt the calendar of their Roman conquerors, but soon shifted to the use of the luni-solar Diaspora calendar. This included the New Year in the fall month of Tishri. They did, however, still base the calendar on observation of the New Moon crescent. Since so little has come down to us regarding the Second Temple rites, the idea of differences between the Pharisees and Sadducees over Pentecost may have grown out of Jewish tradition since 70 A.D., and may not have any basis in fact during the time of the Messiah.

Since Paul was a proud Pharisee and he obviously kept what has been termed "a Sunday Pentecost," then the Pharisees themselves must have been keeping a "Sadducean" Pentecost! However, since the first Holy Day of Unleavened Bread always falls on the weekly Sabbath, both groups observed Pentecost at the same time and the whole idea of differences and controversy regarding the counting to Pentecost vanishes right out the window!

Who were the first converts to the new faith and truth brought by Yeshua the Messiah? Since Yeshua affirmed the truth of the resurrection, and it was central to his teaching, the Sadducees did not accept him or his teachings. But since the Pharisees did believe in a resurrection from the dead, as well as in an angelic world, and the spirit of prophecy, they were far more open minded than the Sadducees to the new faith.

Paul, who was a Pharisee, and the son of a Pharisee (Acts 23:8), had been taught by Gamaliel, a scholar of the law "honored by all the people" (Acts 5:34). Paul himself affirmed: "I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city. Under Gamaliel I was THOROUGHLY TRAINED IN THE LAW of our fathers and was just as zealous for God as any of you are today" (Acts 22:3).

Therefore, if Paul had kept a Pentecost observance in Jerusalem (Acts 20:16) that was contrary to that practiced by his mentor, his appeal in the Sanhedrin as a Pharisee would have contradicted his own observance and his defense would have been a falsehood (Acts 24:14-15). But Paul did not contradict himself. To the Philippians he wrote, "If anyone else thinks he has reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: Circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the Church; AS FOR LEGALISTIC RIGHTEOUSNESS, FAULTLESS" (Phil. 3:4-6). Therefore, since Paul observed Pentecost on the First Day of the Week, and was "in regard to the law, a Pharisee" and "as for legalistic righteousness, faultless," then Pentecost on the First Day of the Week must have been the CORRECT way of observing this feast!

Now notice something very interesting. On the first Pentecost after the Messiah arose, and ascended to heaven (Acts 1:7-10), the disciples were assembled together, keeping the day Yeshua had always kept -- the "day of weeks" (Exodus 34:22). This day was called that, historically, because it was determined by COUNTING the "weeks" from the day after the weekly Sabbath (Lev. 23:15; Deut. 16:9-10).

"When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place" (Acts 2:1). They were observing the correct day! "Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT and began to speak in other tongues as the spirit enabled them.

Notice in Acts 2:1 that they were "all with one accord in one place." What "place" was that? There was, in fact, only ONE PLACE in the city of Jerusalem where devout Jews, of whatever sect, would have congregated on the Day of Pentecost. And there is only ONE PLACE where the events recorded in Acts 2 could possibly have taken place. That place was the TEMPLE -- not an "upper room"! Read our article, Where in Jerusalem Were the Disciples Assembled On Pentecost? for more information. A careful study of the Bible reveals the fact that it was in the Temple that the holy spirit of YEHOVAH God came "suddenly" upon Yeshua's disciples, and that from the Temple the proclamation of the Good News of the Kingdom of YEHOVAH God began to go forth into all the world!

If, as some believe, the Sadducees kept Pentecost at a different time to that of the Pharisees, they would have kept two Pentecosts! Why? Because the Sadducees made up the priesthood that officiated at the Temple, and the Temple services and rituals were under the control of the Pharisees during the time of the Messiah. So the Sadducees would have been officiating at the Temple on the day that the Pharisees determined was Pentecost! However, since we have already seen that BOTH groups arrived at the same day since the first Holy Day of Unleavened Bread always fell on the weekly Sabbath, there was actually no conflict between the two groups over this issue!

Since Acts 2:1 proclaims the fact that they were "all with one accord" they didn't have one group observing SIVAN 6, another observing a "MONDAY" Pentecost while another group observed a "SUNDAY" Pentecost -- all in YEHOVAH's Temple! During the time of the Messiah Pentecost was observed at one time, and one time only. Whether or not there were differences between the Pharisees and the Sadducees over determining Pentecost was totally irrelevant. The Sadducees officiated at the Temple, and the Temple services and rituals were controlled by the Pharisees. Therefore one day, and one day only, was the day the Jews observed Pentecost during the time of the Messiah.

All groups kept the First Day of the Week -- the only correct time. YEHOVAH's holy spirit fell on the First Day of the Week, Pentecost, 31 A.D. Pentecost can float through the days of the month -- anywhere from Sivan 4 to Sivan 12 -- but it is always ANCHORED to the First Day of the Week. Deuteronomy 16:9-10 states, "You shall count seven weeks...then you shall keep the feast of weeks" (after 49 days) -- on the fiftieth day. Numbers 28:26 says, "Observe Pentecost after your weeks be out." If we count from the First Day of the week (Nisan 16), the day of the Wave Sheaf Offering when those called of YEHOVAH were accepted by the Father, then the First Day of the Week is day number one. Therefore, 50 days from the First Day of the Week brings us to another First Day of the Week. The wave sheaf was not accepted by YEHOVAH on a "MONDAY" (John 20:1-17; Matthew 28:9). SIVAN 6 gives any day of the week! In the same way, the Jubilee Year is the fiftieth year after counting. Seven times seven is a complete unit with YEHOVAH God. The seventh DAY is the Sabbath. After seven WEEKS is Pentecost. The seventh MONTH begins with the Day of Trumpets and is full of Holy Days. The seventh YEAR is a land Sabbath, and after seven LAND SABBATHS is the Jubilee. This pattern would be altered if Pentecost was a "MONDAY" or SIVAN 6!

In his sermon to those gathered in the Temple, some people argue that Peter continually stressed the truth of the resurrection from the dead (Acts 2:29-36). Since the Sadducees did not believe in a resurrection (Matt. 22:23-32), this would have fallen on deaf ears if they had been in the crowd, observing their Pentecost. So, follows this line of reasoning, this message was directed to PHARISEES, who were the overwhelming majority in the crowd, who BELIEVED in the resurrection from the dead! What are we to deduce from this? That Sadducees were totally incapable of repentance? That YEHOVAH God favored Pharisees and no one else? What rubbish! Acts 6:7 puts to rest this perverted reasoning -- notice!

Since the priesthood was made up of Sadducees, this passage plainly shows that many of the Sadducees were "obedient to the faith." The fact that Peter stressed the resurrection of the dead in his sermon may have been because there were a number of Sadducees in the audience and he wanted them, in particular, to clearly understand it!

Of these Pharisees AND Sadducees, and their followers, and probably many other groups or sects, three thousand that day were converted, and became the foundation of the New Testament Church of YEHOVAH God (Acts 2:41). Both the Pharisees and the Sadducees were present at the Temple on this Day of Pentecost since the Sadducees made up the officiating priesthood and the Pharisees controlled the Temple services, and the Sadducees had to carry out their wishes. Plus, they both counted the omer to the SAME day because the first Holy Day of Unleavened Bread always fell on the weekly Sabbath! If, as Acts 6:7 indicates, these Sadducees were converted and "obedient to the faith" then a message about the resurrection would have been greeted by them with total belief and understanding!

Here, then, is further proof that this "day of weeks," or PENTECOST, was the traditional Jewish day -- counted according to the reckoning of both the Pharisees and the Sadducees -- the same day Yeshua and Paul observed!

Yeshua the Messiah, very plainly told his disciples: "The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat. So you must OBEY THEM and DO EVERYTHING THEY TELL YOU. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach" (Mat. 23:2-3).

What did Yeshua mean by this statement? Notice that he did not say that the Sadducees, who were doctrinal heretics and Hellenistic sympathizers, sat in Moses' seat. But that the Pharisees did! The Critical Experimental Commentary makes the meaning clear:

Clearly, Yeshua acknowledged the authority of the scribes and Pharisees, concerning matters of the laws of Moses! This would clearly have included the interpretation concerning the right day to observe the annual holy days, and their calculation!

The Adam Clarke Commentary adds:

The Pharisees were the successors of Moses in that they had authority to interpret and teach the laws of YEHOVAH God. The Sadducees, who were an apostate religious/political party, deriving from the Hellenizers of the Maccabean period, when even the high priesthood went astray after Antiochus Ephiphanes, never received authority from YEHOVAH God to teach and interpret the law. They were so apostate, Yeshua himself says, that by the time of the Messiah he said of them:

The Sadducees had strayed so far from the paths of YEHOVAH God that they did not even admit the existence of angels or spirits, let alone the truth of the resurrection from the dead (Acts 23:8)!

The Pharisees, however, were not much better! While they had authority from YEHOVAH God to teach all things CONSISTENT WITH THE LAW AND PROPHETS, Yeshua warned about their many shortcomings. Notice!

Not much of a reference!

The bottom line is: Since the Pharisees had authority from YEHOVAH God regarding matters of the law and prophets, and since they were in charge of the Temple services and rituals, the Sadducees had to bow to their authority. However, there was evidently no conflict over the dating of Pentecost during the time of the Messiah because both groups adhered to a calendar that always placed the first Holy Day of Unleavened Bread (Nisan 15) on the weekly Sabbath. A. P. Bloch, in his book The Biblical and Historical Background of the Jewish Holy Days states that even the Pharisees admitted that Pentecost used to fall (during the Second Temple period) on OTHER DAYS of the month beside Sivan 6 -- thus indicating they counted the omer from the First Day of the Week! (pp. 179-181).

One problem some people have in counting Pentecost correctly is confusion over the word "Sabbath" in Leviticus 23:16. Here the King James Version says we are to count "seven Sabbaths... Even unto the morrow after the seventh Sabbath shall ye number fifty days." If this "seventh Sabbath" refers to the weekly Sabbath, then indeed Pentecost would have to be observed every year on the First Day of the Week!

The term "Feast of Weeks" appears in two places in scripture : Exodus 34:22 and Deuteronomy 16:9-10 -- notice!

The latter passage says "You shall count seven weeks" in verse 9. However, in Leviticus 23 it says:

First of all, notice that in verse 15 of Leviticus 23 seven Sabbaths are to be counted. The term "Sabbaths" is equated in this passage with "weeks" in Deuteronomy 16:9.

Second, notice it says to begin counting from the day after the Sabbath. Perhaps the most obvious point here is that the Sabbath it is speaking of pertains to a feast day, which tends to connect high days to the weekly Sabbath.

It is very interesting that the inspired Hebrew in both verses 15 and 16 of Leviticus 23 says SABBATHS, shabbatot (plural), not WEEKS, shebuat. Verses 15-16 say literally, "seven sabbaths perfect they shall be to the day after the Sabbath [ha-shabbat] the seventh [ha-shebiyit] you shall number fifty [fiftieth] day." Notice the unusual usage of the definite article "the" (Hebrew ha). Therefore it is not just any Sabbath that is the day before day fifty of the count, but THE Sabbath -- THE seventh. This precludes counting imperfect weeks that do not run from the First Day of the Week through Sabbath. In fact, we are not told to count seven Sabbaths at all. We are told that there will be seven perfect Sabbaths on the way to a full count of fifty days. And through the next day after the seventh perfect Sabbath -- the First Day of the Week -- day fifty of the count toward Pentecost is completed.

Writes Richard C. Nickels --

The phrase mi-mohorat ha-shabbat occurs in Leviticus 23:11 and 15 and means "from [on] morrow of [after] the Sabbath," that is, the day after the Sabbath. This is the KEY phrase regarding the counting of Pentecost. This phrase was translated by the Septuagint version of the Bible as "the morrow of the first day," meaning the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. The modern Jewish Publication Society translation, in line with the Septuagint, renders it "the morrow of the day of rest." In other words, the first day to count toward Pentecost is this "morrow of the first day," or "morrow of [after] the day of rest." Is this a valid way to render this verse?

It is interesting that after the destruction of the Temple in 70 A.D. the Jewish scribes sought to renew their efforts to preserve the original Hebrew Scriptures. It appears that the Masorete scribes were considerably more diligent and faithful in preserving the Old Testament than the Alexandrian Jews who had authored the Septuagint. The Masoretes faithfully preserved the mi-mohorat ha-shabbat of Leviticus 23:11 and 15, meaning "from [on] morrow of [after] the Sabbath" -- the weekly Sabbath. It is a fact that the Septuagint eventually became so corrupt that the Jewish authorities forbade Jews from using it.

However, all this is really beside the point because, as we have seen, the first Holy Day of Unleavened Bread always falls on the weekly Sabbath -- end of argument! Therefore, any way you count to Pentecost -- either the so-called Pharisaic method or the so-called Sadducean method -- arrives at the same day, the First Day of the Week fifty days later!

If you still wonder about this issue, and have questions or doubts, then you should do what all those who sincerely seek to know the truth do: You should PERSONALLY take nothing for granted, or the words of any minister or any other man. You should PERSONALLY go to your local library, and look up "Pentecost" in various Bible dictionaries, and similar helps. You should look up such references as "Pharisees," "Sadducees," and even books on Jewish history dealing with that time. You should get a copy of Josephus' Antiquities of the Jews, and check the index, and look up "Pharisees," "Sadducees," and "Pentecost." And, above all, you should use the Bible as the final arbiter on this subject. You should go on a personal CAMPAIGN to learn and to know and to prove to yourself THE PLAIN TRUTH!

Don't take any man's word for it! Check it out for yourself! If you will simply DO THIS, you will be AMAZED!

In this brief article we have only covered a few points concerning the Pentecost issue -- parts of the story which have remained untold until now. But for a full grasp of this pivotal truth of YEHOVAH God, you should write for and read the articles Pentecost -- the Mystery Solved, Amazing New Insight on Observing Pentecost, The Omer Count and YEHOVAH God's Weekly Cycle, Have We Been Observing the Sabbath At the Wrong Time All These Years?

The truth about Pentecost is not a "bogus" or unimportant issue. It is a very vital matter, which concerns salvation itself for many. To knowingly disobey this commandment of YEHOVAH God is to be a stubborn heretic, equivalent in YEHOVAH's sight to practicing witchcraft! YEHOVAH says, "For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry." Or as the New International Version has it, "FOR REBELLION IS LIKE THE SIN OF DIVINATION, AND ARROGANCE LIKE THE EVIL OF IDOLATRY" (I Sam. 15:23). YEHOVAH God said to ancient king Saul, "Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has rejected you as king" (same verse).

The prophet Hosea writes a bitter prophetic lament, which applies directly to these last days in which we live. He wrote:

The issue concerning the right day and manner of celebrating Pentecost is not something which Church leaders can ignore or sweep under the carpet, as they are accustomed to doing. It will not go away. It will come back to haunt them, and to be a nightmare in their dreams.

YEHOVAH GOD MEANS BUSINESS! The Almighty means what He says! The apostle Paul wrote in no condescending manner, "Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows" (Gal. 6:7). Those who disobey YEHOVAH, and teach contrary to His truth of Pentecost, deceiving thousands, are sowing the wind. YEHOVAH God thunders: "They sow the wind and reap the whirlwind" (Hosea 8:7).

The YEHOVAH God Almighty thunders, "How long will you waver between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him" (I Kings 18:21).

What about you? Whom are you going to follow? Baal? And the modern priests and ministers of Baal, who seduce you with false doctrines and erroneous teachings? Or the plain truth of YEHOVAH God and His Word?

Over three thousand years ago, Joshua challenged the people of Israel with these words:

I know whom I am going to obey. As for me and my house, we will follow the commandments of YEHOVAH God! But what about you?

Hope of Israel Ministries
P.O. Box 2186
Temple City, CA 91780, U.S.A.
www.hope-of-israel.org